Policies & Procedures

The information below provides details regarding the policies and procedures of Learning Skills Services. LSS is committed to maintaining high standards of confidentiality. Student information will never be shared with anyone, without the express consent of the student.

Student Success

Student success at university depends on many factors, including motivation, self-discipline, psychological wellness, and physical health. Where appropriate, we consider all of these areas in providing Learning Skills Services, and may recommend referrals or alternate resources as needed.

Workshops

Students may take an unlimited number of Learning Skills workshops, on topics such as: Time Management, Reading and Note-Taking, Learning Style, Critical Thinking, Memory, Managing Academic Stress, Presentation Skills, and Exam Preparation. Please see Workshops for a complete list of all current topics. For upcoming workshops, monthly workshop calendars, times and locations, follow the links in the right-hand sidebar.

Individual Appointments

After taking one or more Learning Skills Workshops and/or speaking with a Learning Skills Peer or Specialist at Drop-In, students have the option of meeting individually with a Learning Skills Specialist to further address specific learning skills issues. This service is intended as a short-term learning experience, rather than a permanent ongoing arrangement. The goal is to "help students help themselves" by working in partnership with you to develop and practice learning and study strategies that work best for you. Please note that this is different from tutoring. We do not provide tutoring services.

Appointment Times

While we understand that circumstances may occasionally prevent you from keeping your appointment with us, we expect you to schedule and keep appointments responsibly and punctually. In the event that you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment, please notify us at least 24 hours before the appointment time.

Unless warranted by exceptional circumstances, if you miss two (2) consecutive appointments without notifying us prior to the scheduled appointment time, we assume that you are no longer interested in individual Learning Skills counselling. You will not be allowed to book another appointment for the rest of the academic term.

We have a maximum waiting period of 15 minutes past your scheduled appointment time. After this grace period, you may be asked to reschedule.

E-mail and Social Media Policy

Email is not an effective nor confidential mode of communication for providing Learning Skills Services, therefore we do not offer Learning Skills services by email. We also do not accept invitations from current York students using our services to participate in their social media networks, nor do we invite students to participate in our own social media networks (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.).

Letters of Reference

Learning Skills Specialists are unable to provide letters of reference for students unless they have supervised the student in an employment capacity.

Questions or Comments

Should you have any questions, concerns or suggestions regarding the information above or any other aspects of the Learning Skills Services, feel free to discuss them with a Learning Skills Specialist at any time.